Individuals can suffer from various diseases that result in one or more voice impairments. Such voice impairments can include, but are not limited to, hypophonia (reduced loudness), monoloudness, monopitch, disordered rate and articulation, and a voice that is hoarse, breathy, harsh, and/or tremulous.
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive movement disorder in which there is a deficit in dopamine production in the basal ganglia. Parkinson's Disease is just one disease identified as being associated with one or more voice impairments. Parkinson's Disease may cause motor speech disorders such as hypokinetic dysartharias wherein intensity (loudness of the voice) is a problem. Further discussion relating to Parkinson's Disease and its connection with voice impairments is found in International Patent Application Serial Number PCT/US2010/045568 filed Aug. 16, 2010 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INCREASING VOICE LOUDNESS, hereinafter referred to as “the 568 Application”. The '568 Application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.